Sun of Sekhmet
by SirenGabbieSR
Summary: *The first few chapters are 3rd person, but will change to 1st! Sorry for the inconsistency!* Riley Calaenos, along with her mysterious necklace and card, arrive at Duel Academy with Jaden, Syrus, and the rest of the gang. Some of her duels end in disaster, and it may have something to do with her bloodline. Disguised as a boy to hide from her past, can she make it right? *AU*
1. Chapter 1: Riley Calaenos

Struggling to get on her wig, Riley hastily arranged her straight brown hair into the hair net. The dark wig was then placed haphazardly on her head, while she checked her outfit one more time. Today, she would be taking her practical dueling test to enter the prestigious Duel Academy, she had already taken her written test and gotten the second best score, she had expected better but was passed only by some guy named Bastian Misawa. She knew she should have scored better, but the question about the MACHINE-typed monster abilities threw her for a loop. She had used many types of decks in the past, but had never been able to grasp the details of the Machines. This was her final chance to earn a spot in Obelisk Blue. Of course, after receiving her spot in the best dorm at DA, she would fly her true colours. By taking off her wig and icy blue contacts. And she couldn't afford to be late.

She zipped up her brown jacket, made sure her boots were tied, and hid her necklace under her collar. She had had the pendant for as long as she could remember, and a few years prior as well. It was an Egyptian ruby Sun Disk, connecting to the cord holding it by two wings thinning into entwining coils around the leather. As she touched the red gem, it seemed to take on a black shine for a brief moment, and Riley quickly put the necklace away. She made sure her deck was in its case, and quickly exited her flat, paid for by her brother, professional duelist Leon Calaenos. After he graduated Duel Academy, he had been the most happy-go-lucky pro in the league. But Leon hadn't been the same since she dueled him. She couldn't put her finger on it, heck she couldn't remember much of the duel. But she was sure the necklace had something to do with it.

She walked through the streets of Domino City, making her way to Kaiba Corp, a landmark known to all in Domino. She could hear the excitement of her Duel Spirit, Harpie Queen, who was always eager to duel, even when she was summoned just so Riley could use her ability. She strolled through the metropolis, soon finding herself in front of the duel testing building.

"Hi! Welcome to the KaibaCorp dueling arena! Are you here for the Duel Academy entrance exams?" An attendant in an orange uniform asked Riley, jolting her out of her silent conversation with Harpie Queen.

"Uh, yes. My name's Riley Calaenos." She said, signing the paper the attendant handed her.

"Alright Riley! Just wait until they announce your name! Good luck!" The attendant waved her off with a smile. Riley shoved her hands in her pockets and strolled into the arena. There were four separate dueling areas, each containing a proctor and a Duel Academy hopeful. Riley managed to find her way up a flight of stairs to get a better view when a boy in a white shirt, black pants, and short-ish black hair came up to her.

"Hello. You must be trying out for the Academy. Have you dueled yet?" He said, and Riley shook her head, getting a feel for the way the proctors dueled.

"No. But soon," She responded, and glanced at the boy.

"Ah, I see. My name's Bastion Misawa, by the way. May I ask yours?"

"Riley. Riley Calaenos." At that exact moment in time, the intercom buzzed, and a man alerted her that she would be dueling in area two. "That's my cue," she said to Bastion, who nodded and wished her luck.

She rose up on a metal platform to face a guy with short brown hair, and striking blue-green eyes. He was young, probably just graduated, and of course, like all proctors, seemed a bit too arrogant for her liking.

"All right applicant," he said, his arms folded across his chest. "This is the most important duel of your life thus far. Don't waste my time."

"All right," Riley said. "But only if you don't waste mine." She activated her duel disk in sync with the proctor, and they both drew their first five cards.

Riley: 4000

Proctor: 4000

"All right," the proctor said. "Why don't you show me what you've got?"

"Fine," Riley said. She drew another card, and looked over them all. "I'll start by activating the Spell card: Double Summon! It's kind of in the name, but it allows me to summon two monsters this turn. So, I'll start off big, by summoning Harpie Channeler and Harpie's Pet Baby Dragon!" As she placed her cards down, the field lit where her monsters rose. Channeler, woman with black wings, talons, and bright red pigtails, and Pet Baby Dragon, a cute little orange dragon with a collar and chain around its neck. (Channeler-4/1400/1300) (Pet Baby Dragon-4/1200/600)

"I'm not done yet! I also activate this: Elegant Egotist!" Riley said, interrupted by the proctor.

"Rookie mistake! Elegant Egotist can only be activated when a Harpie LADY is on the field, and last I checked, you only have Harpie Channeler!" Riley scoffed at the proctor.

"And last I checked, you need to brush up on your Harpie abilities, because Harpie Channeler is treated as Harpie Lady on the field and in the graveyard! So, as I was saying, I use Elegant Egotist to bring forth the devious trio: The Harpie Lady Sisters!" Three winged women rose from the card, one with short spiky orange hair, one with long pink hair, and the last with short blue hair. As they hovered, Harpie's Pet Baby Dragon seemed to grow, as his Attack and Defense points doubled. (Sisters-6/1950/2100) (Pet Baby Dragon- 4/1200-2400/600-1200)

"I end my turn with a facedown card," Riley said, and the proctor drew his card.

"If there's something to be said about Harpie decks, they sure can summon monsters easily. But they're also overused rookie decks. Sorry, little man," the proctor said, his demeaning nickname causing Riley's cheeks to burn with fury. Not only did he insult her deck, he called her LITTLE MAN. Rude.

"So, I'll start off with a little spell called Magical Mallet. With this, I can return my hand to my deck, shuffle, and begin again." And he did as he explained. "Then, I'll play the spell card Double Summon! Which you so thoughtfully explained. So I'll summon this monster facedown," he Set a card, a holographic image appeared on the field, "and then, Flip Summon the exact same monster! Four Starred Ladybug of Doom! You see, he'll destroy all level four monsters, so you won't be able to use your Channeler's ability to bring another Harpie to the field." The insect began to charge towards Channeler, but she raised her wand, creating a barrier and sending the insect back to the opponent's side. (3/800/1200)

"You see, that strategy would work, if not for the fact that Channeler becomes a six-star monster when there's a dragon in play. Nice try though," Riley said, folding her arms across her chest.

"Fine, then I'll set a card facedown."

"Finally, now I can end this duel," Riley said, drawing her next card. Looking down, it was her favourite, her Spirit, the Harpie Queen.

"Alright, I start by summoning Harpie Queen in defense mode! But she won't be staying for long, because I'll activate her special ability. By sending her to the graveyard, I can bring one Harpie's Hunting Ground to my hand. And I'll do just that." The green haired, winged, green clad, talon bearing woman shattered into pixels, and Riley deftly drew her desired card.

"Then, I'll activate it, raising my all Harpie monster's attack and defense by 200." Her dragon grew in size, and her Harpie's claws became longer, sharper, and more defined. (Dragon-4/2400-2600/1200-1400) (Channeler-6/1400-1600/1300-1500) (Sisters-6/1950-2150/2100-2300)

"Finally, I'll activate my facedown card, Call of the Haunted! It lets me summon my Harpie Queen back from the grave, and because of Harpie's Hunting Ground, she gets a boost as well. And she can destroy that convenient facedown of yours." As Riley spoke, her Queen rose into the air, firing razor sharp feathers at the card, which burst into pixels. (4/1900-2100/1200-1400)

"Well, seems I've underestimated you, applicant," the proctor said, as his only defense was a small ladybug.

"Seems you have," Riley said, and her mind went back to a time after she dueled Leon, when he said no one would take her seriously in a duel and how she would never be great without THAT card. She quickly cleared her mind, and went back to the duel. "Now, Dragon, Sisters, Queen, finish him! Feathered Flare, Triple Talon Terror, and Regal Slash Attack!" Her dragon reared his head back, shattering the ladybug into pixels, causing the proctor damage.

Riley-4000

Proctor-2200

Then, the Harpie trio slashed at him in rapid succession, dropping his points almost to zero.

Riley-4000

Proctor-50

Finally, the green haired queen scratched him with her claws, effectively ending the duel.

Riley-4000-WIN

Proctor-0-LOSE

The holograms faded as there was applause from the applicants watching Riley. She looked around, knowing she'd see him, and finally managed to spot the man she was looking for-Leon. The black haired man walked out of the arena as Riley looked at the final card left in her hand. It was THAT card.

Millennium Lock Dragon.


	2. Chapter 2: The Time Has Come

Riley returned to the stands, and saw Bastion and a small blue-haired boy watching a duel intently. The duelists: one of the teachers, Dr. Crowler, a man infamous for his blonde ponytail, pink frills, purple lipstick, and strict teaching habits; and an applicant with brown hair, two-toned, darker on the bottom than the top. On Crowler's side of the field, there was a huge iron contraption with one piercing red eye, towering over the teacher. On Jaden's s cute little Winged Kuriboh. (Kuriboh-1/300/200)

Crowler: 3000

Applicant: 2000

"Now, Ancient Gear Golem, attack that Kuriboh!" Crowler commanded, and his monster crushed the Fairy into pixels, the ghost of his attack going towards the applicant, but not causing any damage.

"Check your duel disk, something must be broken," Crowler said, seemingly indifferently, though Riley was sure he was infuriated Ancient Gear Golem's piercing damage didn't go through. (8/3000/3000)

"Naw, nothing's wrong with my gear. On the turn Winged Kuriboh is destroyed, I take no damage!" The boy said, grinning. "And, I can also activate my trap card! HERO Signal! With this card, I can summon an Elemental HERO if one of my monsters is destroyed. So I summon: Elemental HERO Burstinatrix!" A woman clad in a red bodysuit appears on the field, her black hair held back by what seemed to be a crown, her gray skin contrasting the red skin-tight clothes she wore. (3/1200/800)

"Hey," Riley said to Bastion, "Who's that kid?"

"His name's Jaden Yuki, and he claims to be the best duelist here."

"Oh, really? We'll see about that." Riley returned to the duel, now watching Jaden intently.

Crowler merely folded his arms in front of him, waiting for Jaden to finish his turn.

"My draw!" Jaden exclaimed, adding another card to his hand.

"It better be a good one," Riley said, under her breath. The boy with the light blue hair looked at her, and she returned glances with him before focusing on the duel once again.

"I start by playing the Warrior Returning Alive spell! It lets me bring back one HERO monster from the graveyard, and so here he is: Elemental HERO-Avian!" As Jaden spoke, a man in a green full-bodysuit appeared on the field, his head adorned with feathers, talons overlapping his hands. (3/1000/1000)

"And I'm not done just yet Teach. These are only their temporary forms. 'Cause I activate Polymerization! This lets me fuse Avian and Burstinatrix to summon the Elemental Hero: Flame Wingman! My favourite!" As Jaden spoke, an orange and blue portal swirled above the monsters, and they lept into it. The portal flashed, and a new monster emerged. A green being with a draconic right arm, swirling with red. He had a red dragon's tail, and black spikes protruded from his head, like some sort of crown. (6/2100/1200)

"Shame," Riley said softly.

"How so?" The boy with the blue hair said, turning to Riley and Bastion.

"Flame Wingman's special ability makes the owner of any monster he destroys take damage equal to half that monsters attack points," Bastion explained, and the blue-haired boy looked down again.

"Oh, but Jaden's monster doesn't have enough attack points!" He said solemnly.

"Hopefully not yet," Riley said, still intently watching the duel. "He looks like he'd be fun to duel."

"Now, now," Crowler said, "What an amateur mistake! Can anyone tell our friend here what he did wrong?" He turned to the crowds, and some kids began to chuckle at Jaden.

"See, I know my Wingman isn't strong enough right now. But HEROs have their own arena! I play the Field Spell card: Skyscraper!" Jaden exclaimed, and the field began to darken. Soon, a sprawling city had taken its place, Wingman perched on the highest building, Ancient Gear Golem towering over smaller complexes. "Now Flame Wingman, attack that Ancient Gear Golem! Skydive Scorcher!"

"Go ahead, attack my Golem! This silly little Field Spell hasn't lowered his attack by one point!" Crowler said, tauntingly. Riley smirked, and Jaden seemed ecstatic.

"See, that's the thing. Since Flame Wingman had less attack points than your Golem, it raised his. By a grand total of 1000!" Jaden set the teacher straight, and the crowd erupted. And so did Flame Wingman. Flames emanated from his dragon-arm, coating his whole body as he crashed into the Golem. (6/2100-3100/1200)

A gear dropped on Crowler's head, and even though it was a hologram, it still looked like it hurt.

Crowler: 2900

Jaden: 2000

"And it's not over just yet, 'cause thanks to my Wingman's superpower, you take damage equal to your destroyed monster's attack points!" Jaden said, as his monster shot flames at the blonde man, causing him to lose all his life points.

Crowler: 0 – LOSE

Jaden: 2000 – WIN

"Good for him," Riley said, and turned to leave the arena, as that was the last duel of the day. As she exited, she waved to Jaden, hoping he knew that it meant "good job" and not "you're attractive" when she remembered she was dressed like a dude and blushed. Before she left, she checked with an attendant, received an envelope with RILEY CALAENOS: INFORMATION on it, as well as a black duffel bag with her name on it. She returned home, opened the envelope and saw the plane to Duel Academy would be at KaibaCorp in two days at 12:30.

She couldn't wait.

The next day was spent with Riley checking her decks, packing a small bag full of undershirts, other clothes, and various books, and of course, a sewing kit. She knew she would come clean about her gender as soon as possible, and there may be a need to adjust her clothes accordingly. After she finished packing, she lay down and just waited, the possibilities at Duel Academy were endless.


	3. Chapter 3: DA Tour

**TBH, didn't really like the way this chapter ended up, seemed boring without a duel. But Riley must explore the campus, and so... well... she did. Hope you enjoy! The next chapter should be good! I hope. **

* * *

><p>Riley awoke in a daze. Yawning, she glanced at her clock, the light flashing 12:00. She yawned, scratched her head, and thought:<p>

Twelve? Why is noon so important?

She stretched when it hit her. The plane to Duel Academy arrives. In thirty minutes. She bolted out of her bed, hastily throwing on the first clothes she found: a black tee shirt, jeans, and Converse. She threw her hair up into the hairnet, failing horribly at pinning her wig down, but it looked enough like how it usually did that she didn't question it. She threw on the belt that contained her Deck Cakes, her bag with her duel disk hastily stuffed in it, and dashed out the door. KaibaCorp was twenty minutes away from her house, but it was already 12:15. And she knew she would have to check in before getting on the plane.

Her legs had never moved faster as she dashed to the building, her lungs burned, but it was great exercise. She took some shortcuts, and managed to make it to KaibaCorp at exactly 12:29. She checked in and raced to the helicopter, but unluckily for her, she ran into someone. Literally, ran into someone.

Her nose collided with Dr. Crowler's back, the rest of her body soon to follow. The man lurched forwards, spilling coffee all over his elaborate jacket. Infuriated, he turned around and began to march towards Riley to tell her off, but slipped on the coffee on the floor, falling backwards into a potted plant. And to make matters worse, as Riley tried to help him up, she slipped on the wet floor, letting go of the teacher, an honest accident. But to everyone else, it looked like she dropped him because she could.

Seeing the look on Crowler's face, Riley quickly walked away to board the helicopter. On her way, she saw Jaden, Bastion, and the little boy with the blue hair. Oddly enough, Jaden and the little boy were wearing matching red outfits, and Bastion was wearing a yellow variant. As Riley looked around, she saw everyone wearing either red, yellow, or blue and she realized her mistake. She had forgotten to put on her uniform. She had seen it, however, the glorious Obelisk Blue, and so she decided she would just go the school Chancellor and see about getting a new one.

As she boarded the plane, she received several snickers from people who had witnessed the Crowler incident. She tried to keep herself from blushing with embarrassment, but she was sure she failed in that. She saw Bastion, and moved to sit by him. In front of the yellow-clad lad, were Jaden and the boy with blue hair.

"Hey," Jaden said, turning around in his chair. "I saw the end of your duel. It was totally sweet!" He began grinning, and Riley chuckled at him.

"Thanks," she said, rubbing the back of her neck. Of course it was a good duel. Leon had taught her almost everything she knew.

"By the way, aren't you forgetting something?" Bastion asked her, and Riley cringed slightly.

"Yeah, don't remind me," she said, and the little blue haired boy turned around to look at her.

"I don't think I remember your name," he said. "What was it again?"

"Riley Calaenos. And yours?"

"Syrus Truesdale," he responded, his little voice seeming happy that she cared enough to ask.

"Nice to meet you," she said.

"Oh! And I'm Jaden! The next King of Games!" Jaden said, and Riley looked at him.

"Bastion already told me your name at the exams, and King of Games? That's some big talk. Think you can back it up?" Riley asked, and Jaden just laughed.

"Ha ha! Of course I can! Here's the deal, when we arrive, the first person I'm dueling is you, Riley! I'll show you I got what it takes!" Jaden said, holding out his hand to shake hers.

"It's a challenge," Riley said, firmly shaking his hand. Jaden grinned and turned back around, talking to Syrus for the rest of the ride.

"Well, you're fast friends with them," Bastion said, causing Riley to look at him.

"I think Jaden just has some weird ability to get people to like him," she responded, causing Bastion to chuckle.

"We'll see about that," he said, and the two chatted about random things the whole way to the Academy. Bastion was looking over one of her decks when the pilot made the announcement that they would soon be arriving at Duel Academy.

"Can you believe it Bastion? We're finally here!" Riley exclaimed as the helicopter began to land. As soon as the aircraft touched the ground, Riley was up and out of her seat. She snagged her bag and exited the plane, taking in the scenery. It was beautiful, a lush green forest, a red volcano (probably dangerous, but let's just trust Seto Kaiba…), pristine blue waters sparkling under the sun.

"Hey, guys, I guess the Chancellor's going to be giving a welcome speech," Syrus said, and the three walked up to the school, Riley, Jaden, and Syrus. Bastion had already gone, probably to get an academic feel for the school, but gone already nonetheless. As soon as they walked through the doors, Riley remembered to find the Chancellor and speak to him about her uniform.

"Hey, I'll see you after the speech," Riley said to Syrus and Jaden, and they waved her goodbye. Riley began walking in the general direction of the FACULTY sign, the perfect spot for a Chancellor's office. She finally found it, cleverly hidden beside a sign that read: Chancellor Sheppard. Who would've guessed? Raising her hand to knock on the door, she heard him speaking, his garbled words reverberating through the hallway. As soon as she heard him finish, she knocked on the door.

"Come in!" She heard a man say. And so she did.

"Hello, Chancellor. I seem to have forgotten my uniform, and-," Riley was cut off by the very dirty Dr. Crowler, entering the office with a black duffel bag, similar to the one she had received after the exams.

"Oh, don't worry Mr. Chancellor. I have his uniform right here. Now, now, not a good way to start the year, is it, Mr. Calaenos?" Riley shook her head in response to the coffee-stained man, and was ushered out of the room by the blonde.

Checking her bag, she saw red. Lots and lots of red. "Um, Dr. Crowler, shouldn't I be in Obelisk Blue? My original uniform was-," once again, she was cut off.

"No, that was a mistake in the grading scale. You deserve Slifer Red," the teacher said, fixing his dirty ruffles.

"But sir-," Riley began, and once again, was interrupted by the teacher.

"Let's see here, your dueling skills are sub-par, your written test was horrible, and frankly, Mr. Calaenos, I don't like your attitude. Just be lucky Duel Academy has even accepted you, and be on your way," Crowler said, getting in Riley's face before dismissing her.

Grumbling, Riley took her Academy-issued PDA out of her pocket to reveal that even her dorm assignment had been changed. Instead of the Obelisk dorm, even her PDA said she should be in the Slifer Dorm, room 218. She threw the bag over her shoulder, and skulked out of the school, trying to avoid Jaden and Syrus but failing horribly.

"Hey Riley," Jaden said, "What dorm are you in?"

"Red," she replied. "And I'd wager you both are too."

Syrus nodded. "And Bastion's in Yellow."

"Figured that too," she said, starting to head down to the dorm, stopping paces from the run-down thing.

"Aw man!" Syrus exclaimed. "It's like an outhouse- no, it's WORSE than an outhouse. I bet not even roaches want to live here!"

"Aw, it's not that bad," Jaden said, optimistically. "It's, what's the word? …quaint!"

Riley rolled her eyes. "Yeah, it's quaint alright."

"This is the perfect dorm! I mean, look at the sweet view!" Jaden said, leaning over the balcony on the second floor.

Riley couldn't lie, it was a nice view. You could see over the tree tops to the sparkling ocean, white beaches barely visible beneath the greenery. "Hey," she said turning to Syrus. "What room are you guys in?"

"Room 217," Syrus said, and Riley beamed.

"You guys are right next to me! Room 218," She replied and Jaden nodded.

"Cool. Meet us in our dorm once you settle in," He said, and the boys headed into their room. Riley opened her door, and was met with a pitch black room. No one had settled in, and checking her PDA, Riley saw that she had no roommates. Lucky for her, as Slifer was an all girl's dorm. She changed into a white tee shirt and threw her blazer on over it. However, Riley just so happened to be a girl, and her tee shirt happened to be a little tight around her chest, so she zipped up her jacket. Not buttoning it at the top, she also changed into black jeans. She put her clothes neatly into the closet, putting her bags on the middle bunk of the three tier structure. She grabbed another of her decks, attached it to her Deck Belt, and covered it with her long jacket. Finally, she grabbed her duel disk, and went into Jaden and Syrus's room.

And, naturally, she felt awkward being in a boy's room, even though she was in a boy's dorm. But to these people, Riley Calaenos was a boy, for the time being. As she put her hand on the doorknob, she heard Syrus complaining about losing another duel, then Jaden telling him that "dueling's not about winning or losing: it's about having fun!"

"Words of wisdom, eh Jaden?" Riley said, entering the room.

"Oh, hey Riley!" Jaden said.

"Can't anyone get any sleep around here?" A voice asked from the top bunk of the beds. A boy arose, white jacket with red trim, a large pink nose, and two beady eyes. "Freshmen always have such big dreams."

"AAAAHHHH! A KOALA!" Jaden shouted, screaming at the boy, Syrus clinging to him in fear.

"I'm not a koala!" The boy said, aggravated, as if he's heard that many times before. "My name's Chumley. Chumley Huffington, and I'm your roommate. Congrats on making it into the Academy and all, but you might as well give up on your dreams now."

"Why's that?" Jaden asked, and Riley just stared at the upperclassman.

"We're Slifer Reds. The Academy is divided up into three colours: Obelisk Blue is at the top. Then, there's Ra Yellow, but they have students who did really well in the exams."

_So basically me. Before Crowler changed my score. _Riley grimaced a little at the thought.

"Finally, there's us: Slifer Red. The dueling duds," Chumley finished, causing Syrus to look distraught.

"Aw, come on. Red's a sweet colour!" Jaden exclaimed, "The year hasn't even started yet, how can we be the worst?" Jaden looked at Riley and Syrus, who nodded their agreement.

"Hey, I've got an idea," Riley said, "Let's get out of Chumley here's hair and go explore the island!"

"Fine by me," Chumley said, returning to sleep.

"Alright!" Jaden said, "It's decided then. Let's go!"

The trio quickly left the Red dorm and eventually found themselves at the Yellow dorm, where Bastion's room was.

"Hey! Look guys, it's Bastion," Syrus said, and sure enough, the Ra Englishman stood by the lake near the building. As if on cue, he turned around, and waved to the three Slifers before walking over to meet them.

"Oh, what a surprise," Bastion said in a sincere tone, "you're in Slifer as well, Riley?" She nodded.

"It's crazy right?" Syrus said, "Jaden and Riley are amazing duelists. Unlike me..." The boy said, and Riley ruffled his hair.

"Oh, I'm sure you're a good duelist, Syrus," She said.

"Have you even seen me duel?"

"Well, to be honest…" Riley stopped, then began a new thought. "Why don't you and I duel sometime?"

"Yeah, that's a great idea," Jaden said, "But only after you duel me, Riley."

"I made you a promise to duel you first, Jay," Riley said, "And I assure you, I don't break promises."

"Good! When we get back to our dorm, you better get your game on!"

"My, sounds like an interesting night," Bastion said. "I'll have to swing by later."

"Definitely!" Jaden said, running off towards the other side of the lake.

"Guessing there's going to be a lot of running involved," Riley said to Bastion.

"Sounds like a logical guess."

The brunette took off after the energetic boy, followed by the bluenette. They raced, Riley catching up with Jaden, Syrus still following close behind. They found themselves by the school again, far enough so that they couldn't see most of it, but they could see the coloured domes on the top. They came to a mansion-looking building, the Obelisk Blue Boy's dorm, but were immediately shoed away by some kid.

They took a stroll back towards the Ra dorms, but found themselves by a lake-side castle, the only Girl's dorm on campus: the Obelisk Blue Girl's dorm. A girl with straight blonde hair came up to them.

"Hey," she said, "What are you guys doing here?" Riley took the time to notice her white vest with blue trim and her blue miniskirt. She silently thanked herself for pretending to be a dude: Skirts weren't really her thing.

"Nothing…" Jaden said, even though he could have just said: exploring the island.

"How suspicious. I should call the headmaster."

"Suspicious?" Jaden asked, "Who's suspicious?"

"We are Jaden," Riley said.

"Listen to your friend here, he's right." Jaden still looks like he has no idea what's going on. "HELLO. Obelisk Blue GIRL'S dorm!"

"Oh," Syrus said, stuttering, "Sorry! We didn't know!"

"Oh, freshmen," the girl said. "I guess I can forgive you. My name's Alexis Rhodes."

"Jaden Yuki, future King of Games. And this is Syrus and Riley."

"Oh, nice to meet you! But you might want to get back to your dorm, there's supposed to be a welcome dinner for all the freshmen. And I have to leave or I'll be late." Jaden begins to rush off, any chance he can get for food, he's there. Riley exchanged glances with Syrus and began to follow the brunette, waving goodbye to Alexis.  
>As she ran, Riley could have sworn she heard a subtle call out to her, as her necklace beat on her chest with every step.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4: Duel With Jaden

Okay, so this is going to be the first chapter in Riley's POV, sorry for the random inconsistencies, while I was writing the last chapter I accidentally changed it from "she" to "I", and since Riley is my OC, I do like the idea of it being in first person, but there will be some… scenarios when third person is required, marked by a wonderful page split.

I've been busy with school and extracurricular activities, and I've been suffering serious writer's block, so that's why I haven't been updating. But maybe this will help me get back into the swing of the story. Anywho, just those quick announcements.

To iloveyugiohGX93, I posted two chapters in one night because I had that much written (and the third chapter too, but I procrastinated on posting it because I didn't care for the "flow" of it) and just wanted to be caught up online. But now, I am caught up. Heh.

Celestia Gold- The emotion I felt after reading your review was somewhere between squee and guilt (cause I couldn't update between uploading those chapters and when you reviewed). I hope the rest of my story is SWEETNESS as well! ^.^

And thank you to this story's first follower/favouriter (pretty sure that's not a word, but whatever): Redder45! You rock my socks. (That was weird. I'm sorry. I won't say that again…)

Anyway, onto the story! (This duel was loosely based off of the duel I had with Jaden on Spirit Caller. Yay)

* * *

><p>Shortly, we arrived back at the Slifer dorm. Not gonna lie, there is a terrible amount of running involved in being friends with Jaden (even though we've been friends for less than a day), but I'm sure I'll have plenty of time to get used to the cardio. As we arrive, the rest of the Slifer students were filing into the "cafeteria", which was considerably worse than any eating facility I had ever been to, or even heard of, before. Jaden, Syrus, and I follow suit, sitting at a table for four with Chumley. The wooden tables are topped by white trays, holding rice, fish, and a small bowl of soup. A worthy welcome feast for those in the bottom of the Dual Academy barrel.<p>

As we wait for the Slifer headmaster, my fingers absentmindedly go to the necklace under my jacket. An image of a golden dragon flashes briefly in my mind, snapping me out of my daze. I look back up, to see the headmaster, a thin man with glasses and a black ponytail standing above Jaden, a cat on the table in the background. I seem to have missed something, as Jaden is already eating his meal, and the headmaster chuckled at him.

"Alright," he said, with a smile, "Let's eat!"

"So," I said, trying to catch up, "what's our dorm head's name?" I looked to Syrus, as Jaden's struggling to swallow his whole plate of food in one mouthful.

"Professor Banner," the blue haired boy said quietly, as the headmaster came over to our table.

"Well," the professor said, with a strong accent that I failed to place, "since some of us can't wait, let's eat!" He began to laugh heartedly, as all the other Slifers began to eat the "feast" Banner had prepared for us.

"Hmm, this is pretty good," I said, eating the rice and fish, trying to not eat as politely as a lady should, given the fact that I still have the appearance of a teenage boy.

"Hey," Jaden said, his mouth still full of fish and rice, "you gonna finish that?" He motions to my soup, and I shake my head.

"No," I replied, "go ahead." I slide my soup across the table, and Jaden smiles at me.

"Hey, Riley, what do you say to dueling right after supper?" Jaden asked, grabbing the small white bowl from the table before scarfing it down.

I rolled my eyes, and said, "If you're that eager to lose, then sure, you're on."

"What makes you think I'll lose?"

"Gut feeling," Jaden just smiled.

"It's not about winning or losing Riley. It's about having fun. And if you enjoy the duel, then you've won, no matter what happens," he cheesed, and I fight the urge to scoff, a fight that I cannot win.

"The way I learned how to duel, winning is everything, sorry Jay." I finished my rice, then stood up. "I'll be in my room." Leaving the cafeteria, I strolled outside, the soft night breeze ruffling my wig and jacket. Right now, I want nothing more than to get rid of my disguise, let my hair down, and just live carefree.

I never really felt… alone. Even when Leon was out on tours and none of my friends wanted to come over and watch him duel on TV. And it wasn't just the card I'd had forever. Sometimes, I would talk to myself, and it seemed like someone was talking back. And after my duel with Leon shortly before coming to Duel Academy, I felt someone else there. Like, an alternate personality sharing my body with me. And it seemed hostile, threatening. And the less I felt like myself, the less it bothered me. Hence the wig and non-gender-revealing clothing.

I sigh, and head up to my room. When I get there, I close and lock the door, taking my wig off, which was falling off anyway. I pulled my hair up into a high ponytail, and carefully put the wig back on, making sure it's securely pinned down. Jaden is sure to play his Avian, and maybe his Wingman as well, and it's surely going to get blustery, especially since I have a Wind-based deck.

After I finish adjusting my wig, I sit on my bed, the bottom bunk. I've never really been a calm sleeper, so I grabbed the bottom for assurance that there will be fewer bumps and bruises due to my tossing and turning, but I digress. I grabbed my Harpy deck from my deck case and began reviewing it, adding and taking out cards to cover obvious weaknesses. I had just returned my deck to my case when I heard knocking on my door.

"RILEY, LET'S DUEL NOW!" Jaden shouted loud enough to wake up the Obelisk girls. But maybe then Alexis and Bastion would come, and maybe even Chazz. I pulled myself up, fixing my clothes as I slipped on my belt and Duel Disk. I opened the door, and lo and behold, Jaden stood there, accompanied by Syrus, Chumley, Bastion, and Alexis. Sadly, no sign of Princeton. A girl can dream.

"Alright then. Let's duel," I said, shutting off the lights and closing the door. We made our way to the clearing right in front of the dorm, the forest a backdrop to the event. Jaden and I both turned on our Disks as our spectators gathered around the sidelines, Chumley and Syrus behind Jaden, Alexis and Bastion behind me.

"Alright Riley, remember, it's not about winning, but enjoying the game!" Jaden said, as he drew his first five cards.

"Yeah, yeah," I said, drawing my first hand. "I'll enjoy how easy this duel will be. But you can enjoy it first. Be my guest Jay." I motion for him to go first, and he draws a card.

"Alright Riley, let's get this started!"

DEUL

JADEN - 4000

RILEY – 4000

"I'll start off with my favourite feathered friend! Elemental HERO – Avian!" Jaden placed his card on his Duel Disk, then activated the Field Spell slot in his Disk. "And what's a HERO without his city to protect?" Tall buildings rose out of the ground and power radiated around Avian, waiting for a powerful opponent. (3/1000/1000)

"I'll end my turn with two facedown cards," Jaden said, and two facedowns appeared behind Avian.

"Alright," I said while drawing a card, "let's really get this started. I'll start by summoning Harpie Lady in attack mode! Then, I'll activate this: Harpie's Hunting Ground." I placed the Field Spell in the slot, and Jaden's buildings shattered around us. The layout became barren, desert-like, and Harpie Lady took to the skies, swooping around over my side of the field. Lady - (3/1000-1300/1000) Avian – (3/1000-1300/1000)

"Then, I activate the spell card: Elegant Egotist to bring forth Harpie Channeler!" (4/1400-1700/1300)

"He's not summoning another monster is he?" Syrus squeaked from across the field.

"Of course," Bastion responds.

"One thing that really makes Harpie decks formidable is their ability to summon monsters quickly. Especially if your opponent only has one monster, and no Field Spell," I replied.

"And," Bastion added, "The effects of Harpie's Hunting Ground kicks in now."

"What are the effects?" Jaden asked.

"I can destroy one spell or trap card whenever a Harpie is Summoned. And I think I'll pick that one," I said, pointing to the facedown on the right. "Emergency Provisions, I should have known." The card shatters, and Harpie Channeler looks back to me.

"Are you going to activate Channeler's ability now?" Syrus asked, and I nod.

"Of course. By discarding one Harpie monster, like this Harpie Girl here, I can summon one Harpie from my hand or deck in defense mode. So I choose Harpie's Pet Dragon." A large red dragon appeared from the hologram on the field, its slender neck accessorized by iron chains, and Harpie Channeler flies up to his side, grabbing hold of the chain. (7/2000-2900/2500-3100)

"Um, don't mind me askin," Jaden said, as his other facedown card, HERO Signal, is destroyed. "But why is he getting bigger?"

"Because," Alexis answered for me, "Harpie's Pet Dragon gains 300 ATK points for every Harpie Lady on the field."

"And, he also gains from Harpie Lady's special effect," Bastion adds on. "Every WIND attribute monster gains 300 ATK points."

"Sweet! So Avian gets that bonus too!" Jaden said, smiling widely.

"I wouldn't celebrate yet Jay," Syrus said.

"Yeah. His Channeler's still got more ATK points," Chumley chimed in, and I smile.

"And of course I can't use my Dragon yet, but I can still knock you down a couple thousand Life Points Jay," I said as Channeler prepared her staff. "Harpie Channeler, destroy Elemental HERO – Avian!"

Harpie Channeler raised her staff high above her head, her red hair whipping about in the wind as red light arced from the staff, shattering Avian into tiny pixels. The light hit Jaden as well, and his life points were reduced.

Jaden – 4000 – 3600

Riley – 4000

"Now, Airo, attack Jaden as well! Scratch Attack!"

The pink haired Harpie swooped down from the sky, her talons glinting in the fabricated desert sun. She scratched Jaden across the chest, who then winced as his Life Points went down.

Jaden – 3600 – 2300

Riley – 4000

"I end my turn with a facedown," I finished, placing a card into my Spell/Trap zone.

"Alright," Jaden said. "My draw!" Jaden drew a card, and looked over the cards in his hand.

"Time for another change of scenery! I activate Fusion Gate!" Jaden placed the card into the Field Spell zone, and the Desert wasteland disappeared, much to my Harpie's dismay. The ground became lined with yellow-green boxes, and the sky grew a purplish shade of grey, swirling with clouds.

"And using Fusion Gate, I fuse the Sparkman and Clayman in my hand to summon: the Elemental HERO – Thunder Giant!" My eyes snap up as the clouds swirl faster. Lightning strikes the field and a huge yellow-and-blue man descends, an orb of lightning shining in his chest. "And Thunder Giant has a special ability too. By discarding one card from my hand, I can destroy one face up monster whose original ATK points are less than Thunder Giant's! So say goodbye to Harpie's Pet Dragon!" Thunder Giant raises a hand, and sparks shoot from his palm, catching hold of my Dragon and destroying him, sending Channeler back to the ground. Thunder Giant – 6/2400/1500

"Now, Thunder Giant! Attack Harpie Lady!" The Giant collected electricity between his hands, and fired them at my Harpie. She shrieked as she shattered into pixels, and I got the leftover electricity. I felt the pins coming up a bit in my hair from the sheer force of the attack, and I cannot let Jaden hit me again, or else my wig may come off.

Jaden – 2300

Riley – 4000 – 2900

"I'll end my turn with a facedown," Jaden stated, as a card appeared behind the Elemental HERO.

I clenched my jaw as I drew my card. And just my luck, it's THAT dragon. Still, I happen to have a few good cards left in my hand. "Alright, I'll start by activating this card: Hysteric Sign. This allows me to add an Elegant Egotist to my hand from my graveyard or deck." I take the Elegant Egotist I used to summon Channeler and return it to my hand.

"Then, I'll activate two Elegant Egotist cards and summon the Harpie Lady Sisters and the Harpie Queen!" The Harpie trio swoops down from seemingly nowhere, and the green-haired Harpie royalty joins the three on the field. Sisters- 6/1950/2100 Queen- 4/1900/1200

"I may as well make it more difficult for you to fuse as well, even though it's almost over. So, Jay, I activate Harpie Queen's special ability! By discarding her, I can pull one Harpie's Hunting Ground from my deck," I inform him as I discard my favourite Harpie and grab a Harpie's Hunting Ground before activating it. The scenery once again becomes a desert, and my Harpies glare at Thunder Giant.

"Finally, I'll activate my pièce de résistance: Triangle Ecstasy Spark! This special little spell makes all my Harpie's ATK points 2700. And you can't activate any trap cards," I revealed my face-down, and all my Harpies began to sharpen their talons, which seemed to grow in length and become sharper before our very eyes. Sisters- 6/1950 - 2700/2100 Channeler 4/1400 - 2700/1300

"Good move," Bastion said, his arms crossed.

"Now all his monsters are stronger than Jay's," Syrus added, and Alexis nodded.

"Now," I say, "Harpie Lady Sisters: show that Thunder Giant not to mess with your friends! Triple Talon Terror!" The three sisters flew high in the air, disappearing in the harsh sun. Then, they raced back down, hitting the HERO in order. The Giant roared as he disappeared in a burst, and Jaden remained defenseless.

Jaden – 2300 - 2000

Riley – 2900

"Now, Harpie Channeler, finish this! Harpie Staff Spark!" Harpie Channeler's staff glowed with red electricity, and she flapped her powerful wings, propelling herself towards Jaden. She raised her staff, striking him in the chest, causing him to lose the rest of his Life Points.

Jaden – 2000 – 0 LOSE

Riley – 2900 WIN

"Wow, Riley, sweet duel! You really know how to use your deck!" Jaden smiled, and I rolled my eyes sarcastically.

"Of course I know how to use my deck. Or else I wouldn't use it," I said, walking over to the brunette. Alexis and Bastion joined us, and we all stood around for a bit, talking about the duel and how we would have handled certain situations. I look down at Millennium Lock Dragon, and apparently space out, because next thing I know, Alexis and Bastion are leaving to go back to their dorms and Syrus is trying to get me to snap out of my daze.

"What were ya thinking about Riles," Jaden asked, giving me a brand spanking new nickname.

"n-nothing," I stutter, as I can't really remember what caused me to blank out. I slip the card into my jacket pocket, and stuff my hands in my jeans pockets as well. "But our first day's tomorrow, and we should really get some sleep." I began to walk up to my room, and as I opened the door, I heard Jaden shout "GOOD NIGHT RILES! SWEET DUEL!" before I entered my dorm room. I slip out of my jacket and jeans, changing into some sweat pants, but leaving my black tank top on. I took off my wig and contacts, putting them by the sink, and slid into the bed. I snuggled up in the not-so soft sheets on the not-so soft mattress.

In my dream, two people kept talking to me. I remember Harpie Queen but the other person – or thing for that matter – stayed elusive when I woke. Yet I could remember a brief metallic roar right before I woke up.


End file.
